


Family is Annoying and Inconvenient

by musicals_musicals



Series: Newsies Stuff [4]
Category: Newsies - All Media Types, Newsies!: the Musical - Fierstein/Menken
Genre: Multi, race has sisters, there are newsies but its kinda a modern AU?
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-25
Updated: 2018-08-25
Packaged: 2019-07-02 11:50:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,255
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15795924
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/musicals_musicals/pseuds/musicals_musicals
Summary: Race and Spot’s life is interrupted when they run into an old family member.





	Family is Annoying and Inconvenient

“Whatever happened to your sisters” Spot and Race were sitting on the couch in their tiny apartment, Race sitting between Spot’s legs reading a book and Spot was mindlessly playing with Race’s hair and scrolling through his phone. The thought had randomly occurred to him, they had been friends for years and Spot had met Race’s sisters a few times. Race was the oldest and had always been extremely protective of his sisters, Mia was barely a year younger, and Annette was nine years younger than Race. Spot figured it must be a little hard for Race to never see them.

Race sat up and closed his book “I don’t really know, Mia sent me a letter when she went off to collage, I think she’s somewhere in California. But that was the last I heard” He turned around so he was facing Spot and tangled their fingers together “Annette must be fourteen or fifteen years old now”

“Do you miss them?” Spot asked. He knew how close Race was to his sisters before he moved out. Race hadn’t exactly moved out under the best circumstances, he had been seventeen and he hadn’t exactly left on the best terms, his parents were homophobic and they weren’t thrilled when Race came out as bi. They kicked him out and he moved in with Spot.

Race shrugged “Kinda, but for all I know Annette wouldn’t even talk to me anymore” Race tried to make it sound like a joke, but the thought did worry him. Annette had been eight when he left and if he had to guess his parents had blacklisted him and probably made sure Annette would never come near him again. Spot looked like he wanted to say something but Race spoke before he could “Let’s watch a movie” He suggested, attempting to smile. He picked up a random VHS tape and put it in the player. Spot didn’t say anything and pulled Race into a hug when he got back to the couch. They spent the rest of the night watching movies and cuddling on the couch.

∞∞∞

“Why do you want to take me to a park?” Spot had asked three times and Race still refused to answer.

“Wait and see” Race pulled Spot arm to try to get him to go faster.

Spot stopped walking “Wait I want to buy a paper” Spot and Race were both too old to sell papers, so they tried to buy from newsies whenever they could.

“It can’t wait until after?” Race asked. He loved supporting the younger newsies but he also really wanted to go to the park

“NEWSPAPERS RIGHT HERE, SERIAL KILLER SPOTTED IN DOWNTOWN MANHATTAN!” A voice rang out from around the corner. Race and Spot turned just in time to see a man in a suit walk off with a paper.

“Is that..” Spot trailed off. The newsie was a girl, they could only see her back but it was obvious. It wasn’t uncommon for girls to sell papers, but most of them dressed like boys. Smalls had explained to Race once that it was easier and safer to dress as a boy to sell papers. This newsie clearly wasn’t having that problem. she had long brown hair braided down her back and a blue newsie cap. She was wearing a light blue dress with a black belt and boots.

Race nodded slowly “Definitely, we should tell Smalls and Sniper. A newsies selling as a girl”

“She’s good too” A mother had walked up trailing a little boy, the girl talked to them for a little bit, even bending down to talk to the little boy and had managed to sell them a paper for a nickel. “Now I definitely want a paper” Spot was impressed. He had seen a lot of newsies sell and this girl was probably one of the best, something about her selling style seemed familiar, but he couldn’t figure out why.

Race dug in his pocket for a penny and walked closer to the girl “Can I buy a paper?”

The girl spun around quickly “Of course and- Antonio?!” She stopped reaching into her newspaper bag and stared open-mouthed at Race.

“Annette?” Race asked looking just as shocked. Once he said the name Spot recognized her. She was older but she was definitely Race’s little sister. That also explained why her selling seemed so familiar; it was exactly how Race used to sell. “What are you-” Race was cut off when Annette hugged him. Spot watched awkwardly.

“I missed you” Annette said before pulling back and giggling at Race’s surprised expression

“Also it’s Ann now”

“I go by Race”

She raised her eyebrows “Really?”

“Oh, shut up” Race rolled his eyes and lightly shoved her shoulder before remembering what was going on “What happened?”

She held up her hand “I’ll explain later. I have 12 papers left do you want to meet later?”

“Sure” Race didn’t offer a place so Spot stepped forward

“I’m Spot” He awkwardly held out his hand

Ann shook it quickly “I remember,” She paused “Sean” She smirked. She looked between them and smirked at her brother.

“Don’t you have papers to sell?” Race asked, clearly avoiding the question

“Yeah, where should I meet you” She asked

Race shrugged and looked at Spot “I’ll write down the address, how much time do you need?” Spot suggested

“An hour will work” She pulled a pencil out of her hair and held it out to Spot along with a scrap of paper. He wrote down the address to their apartment and gave it back to her. “See you then”

She skipped off and Race watched her go still looking confused and surprised. Spot laced their fingers together and nudged Race’s shoulder “Let’s just head home”

Race nodded. The park seemed to big and loud, Race just wanted to sit with Spot and talk about what happened. It wasn’t everyday you found a family member you hadn’t seen in seven years.

∞∞∞

_Knock, Knock_

Race launched himself off the couch towards the door he had been waiting for and dreading that sound for the past hour. He stopped when he got to the door putting his hand on the door handle then quickly pulling it back. Spot watched from the kitchen table knowing this was something Race had to do for himself. Spot had asked if Race wanted him to leave while Ann was visiting, but Race had immediately objected. He wanted his boyfriend there for emotional support, he hadn’t seen his sister in seven years and had no idea what she was going to tell him, for all he knew his parents were dead.

_KnockKnockKnockKnock_

The knocks got faster and louder the longer it took for Race to open the door so he just swung it open. “Is that really necessary?”

Ann stood at the other side of the door with her hand still raised “Yes” She stepped into the apartment and surveyed the room. “Nice place”

Race rolled his eyes “Please come in” He said sarcastically “And yes it is”

She explored a little walking through the kitchen and looking down the only hallway “Pretty big” She noted

“We are not here to discuss my living accommodations” Race sat at the kitchen table next to Spot and gestured loosely to the empty chair.

Ann sat down, she was still wearing the same clothes and she still had her bag. She must not have had time to go home, or wherever she was staying “Good point, do you have food”

“Thought you might say that” Spot stood up and pulled out a plate of sandwiches from the fridge. He had a lot of spare time while Race was pacing and worrying, so he made sandwiches. He couldn’t cook without starting a fire, but sandwiches were easy and required no stove or oven.

“Now what happened?” Race asked “Why are you selling newspapers? Why did you leave our parents house?”

Ann looked down at her sandwich “Mom may have caught me…” She mumbled the rest  under her breath

Race leaned closer “What?”

“Mom caught me kissing a girl” She sat up and looked Race in the eye daring him to react badly. It was the same look Race gave Spot the first time he asked him out. Race put his head on the table and started giggling quietly. Spot started laughing too, Race and his sister were exactly the same.

“Mom kicked you out because you were kissing a girl?” Race asked, trying to keep the facts straight and wanting to confirm what he heard.

“They didn’t exactly kick me out” Ann explained “I prefer to think I left. I think they would have let me stay, but I would have felt extremely unwelcome,”

“You realize that’s why Race left?” Spot asked unable to believe Ann had no idea her brother was gay.

“You got caught kissing a girl?” Ann asked with a confused look on her face

“Not exactly” Race said smiling. He reached over and pulled Spot into a quick kiss. “I was kissing boys”

“Poetic” Spot teased

Ann laughed “Really?”

“I thought you knew!” Race exclaimed “Who did you think Spot was” 

“A friend?” Ann shrugged.

Race was surprised Ann hadn’t realized he was gay. Even though Ann had been seven when he left he always assumed she would at least guess why he left. A thought occurred to him “Who was the girl?”

Ann blushed “No one” Race raised his eyebrows and she groaned “Her name’s Switch”

“Newsie?” Spot asked. It was clearly a newsie name and for some reason that name seemed familiar but he couldn’t figure out why.

“Yeah, Brooklyn” Ann explained

“Switch?” He thought for a second “I remember her, she was eight when she showed up at the lodging house. Came from a bad family” Spot had loved her, his favorite part of being king of Brooklyn was training new newsies (Having his own room was also great) When Switch showed up no one thought she would last very long, but she proved everyone wrong. She was only eight but that didn’t stop her from selling papers, she knew exactly how to use strangers sympathy to her advantage, Spot sold with her for a couple of weeks, but he switched to just selling papers nearby to keep an eye out when she proved she was better by herself. She would sell papers for dimes and nickels, Once she came home with two dollars off 30 papers. When Spot left some random newsie was in charge, but he guessed Switch had probably taken control. “Is she king of Brooklyn now?”

“Queen of Brooklyn” Ann corrected. Race looked slightly annoyed but the fact that his sister apparently had a girlfriend, but he would probably let it go if he met her. “How do you know all that?” Ann asked

“Ex-King of Brooklyn” Race said pointing at Spots head

“You’re the Spot Conlon!” Ann exclaimed, putting the pieces together “You’re a legend in Brooklyn” She turned to Race “You were a newsie!”

“Manhattan’s the best” He said instead of answering “It made sense you became a newsie, but why in Brooklyn?” He asked. His parents house was in Bronx, so Race went to Manhattan because it was close, but he definitely wouldn’t try to sell a paper to anyone he knew. To get to Brooklyn you have to go through Manhattan, so why didn’t Ann just stop there?

“I have a guess” Spot spoke up. Judging from the blush when Ann mentioned Switch the kissing event wasn’t a one time thing “Probably the same reason I moved to Manhattan”

“I wanted to be with my girlfriend” Ann pointed out “She couldn’t exactly leave Brooklyn” She looked at a clock “Speaking of which I need to go, she might get worried”

“Fine, but you need to visit again” Race pulled her into a hug “And bring that girlfriend, I want to meet her”

She pulled away “Really?”

“Hey, I missed eight years of being an overprotective older brother I need to make up for it” Race pointed out

“How does next week sound?” Spot asked, looking between Race and Ann. They both nodded and walked towards the door.

Race opened the door for Ann and she hugged him one last time “Bye, Spot!” She yelled over Race’s shoulder before running out the door.

“That was interesting.” Race swung the door closed and collapsed on the couch “Family is crazy”

Spot sat next to Race and hugged him tightly. “Well the craziness returns next week”

Race groaned and buried his face in Spot’s shirt “Don’t remind me”

∞∞∞

“I’m back!” Ann exclaimed stepping back into the Brooklyn lodging house “Who missed me?” All the newsies exchanged looks, and went back to what they were doing. Ann asked the same thing every time she got home, and she wasn’t usually looking for an answer. She poked Twist on the shoulder and he looked up from his book “Where’s Switch?”

He shrugged “Probably upstairs” He went back to his book and Ann wandered upstairs.

“Ann!” Ann practically fell over when a person ran into her and hugged her tightly “Why are you late?” Switch asked, She had curly black hair cut just below her shoulder and green eyes. She was wearing a brown skirt with a flower pattern and a brown vest. Her green headband was lopsided and falling out. She looked perfect.

“I have the craziest story,” Ann smirked “Remember the brother I told you about?”

**Author's Note:**

> Ann and Switch are modeled after the Marriott theater newsies. I'm too tired to come up with an authors note. Kudos and comments!


End file.
